Kardutjaanup ERF 2024

Kardutjaanup ERF 2024 is an environmental planting project located in the Shire of Esperance, Western Australia. The project site is situated approximately 20 kilometers southwest of the rural township of Salmon Gums and roughly 90 kilometers north of the coastal regional hub of Esperance. Registered on March 16, 2024, the project encompasses nearly 96 hectares of land in the "Mallee" sub-region of the Esperance agricultural zone, an area historically utilized for broadacre cropping (wheat, barley) and sheep grazing.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2014. This methodology involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree species, specifically mixed-species suitable for the local area, on land that was cleared and used for agriculture for at least five years prior to the project's start. The primary activity is the reforestation of this ex-agricultural land, likely using drought-tolerant mallee eucalypts to restore forest cover and sequester carbon in the biomass.

Environmentally, the region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an annual rainfall ranging between 350mm and 450mm, which can be erratic. The local soil profile typically consists of alkaline grey sandy duplex soils and calcareous clays, often susceptible to salinity if deep-rooted vegetation is removed. The restoration of deep-rooted native vegetation in this landscape helps mitigate these soil issues while providing biodiversity benefits.

A notable feature of this project is the proponent, The Tijuk Foundation Pty Ltd, acting as trustee for the Tijuk Trust. Public records indicate the trust manages culturally and environmentally important lands for the Esperance Nyungar Traditional Owners. This suggests the project likely integrates carbon farming with Indigenous land management goals, restoring "Country" that holds cultural significance.